Divider for cheese molds



Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNIT ED STATES Q-FF ICE DIYID B. FOR HEESEZ O Marvin F: Pullen, Portland, Ores.

Application October 23, 1951,. SeriaLNc, 252,591

3" Claims.

This invention. relates to. a cheese mold and, more particul'arly, to a. new and novel divider i-nsert for use therewith.

Cheese bricks of moderatev sizes, for example, two pound bricks are molded; several at a time in compartmented' containers. These containers comprise a rectangular open top box having, a removable divider-insert consisting of a generally fiatbase portion adapted to rest on the bottom of the: box; and on; which. are secured, as by welding thereto upstanding divider plates which extend transversely of the box and with the walls of the box form. the compartmentsin which the bricks are molded. In handling the inserts during'cl'eansing. and mold assembly operations the joints between the divider plates and the base portion are often severely stressed, and in the divider inserts used in the past were frequently broken, requiring the insert to be discarded. It is an object of this invention, then, to provide a divider insert for a cheese mold wherein; break age ofthe divider. plates from the base portion, is substantially eliminated;

The divider inserts of the prior art were also difficult tov remove from the mold box. Therefore, it, is a further object of this invention to provide a divider insert that may be easily. removed from a cheese mold box.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a divider insert that may be easily and cheaply manufactured.

The foregoing and" other objects and advantages of thepresent invention will=be morereadily ascertained from an inspection of the following specifications taken in connection with the ac companying drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, while, the features of novelty will be morefidistinctly pointed out in the appended claims...

According" to the embodiment herein shown, there is provided" in the present. invention a divider insert including. a substantially fiat base portion having a plurality of parallel, transversely extending channels formed in the upper surface of the base, as bystamping, with a corresponding series of ribs projecting; from the lower surface of the base. Welded in' each of the channels is a normally projecting dance of an upstanding divider plate extending transversely of the base whereby a strong joint is formed between the base portion and a divider plate that is not easily broken. The ribs have a functional operation. resulting; in the easier removal of the, insert. from. the mold box. For a more detailed description of the. invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of a cheese mold with a side and an. end of the mold box broken away to show the divider insertof this invention;

Fig; 2 is; a side. elevation. taken along. line. 2.-.-2 of. Fig-.1 showing. a. mold filled with cheese and with; a pressure foot in position inthe'mold; and

Fig; 3 is anenlarged cross-sectional view of the joint between a divider plate and the base portion of the-insert formed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown therein acheese mold box- Iii having a bottom H and opposite side walls I2 and end walls [3. Preferably the-walls taper slightly outwardly from the bottom of the box to facilitate removal of the molded cheese. To-increasethe strength of the box the topsof the end and sidewalls are rolled over'as at I l with an additional brace l5 welded to each of the top corners. Additional strengthening of the box is also afforded by the channels It welded to-the-side walls l2 and extending the length of the box. The bottom of the box is preferably perforated at intervals by small holes I! to permit drainage of'the whey when cheese "is compressed in the mold;

Dividingthe box In into-compartments ofapproximatelyequal volume is aremovable divider insert 20 having a base portion 22 with a plurality of transversely extending divider plates 2| secured to the upper surface thereof. The improved manner-of constructing the divider inserts-20 in accordance with my invention includes offsetting as by stamping, narrow, transversely extending, parallel strips of the base portion 22 so as toform channels 23 in the upper surface of the base portion and corresponding ribs 24 on the: lower surface thereof. Preferably the strips are offset to form channels of a depth equal to the thickness of the divider plates 2|, which may: be made of about a I l-gauge steel plate, as may be the base portion 22'; it being understood, of course, that other weights of sheet and other materials may be used. The divider plates 2! are formed with a normally projecting flange 30 on their lower-edgeof a width whereby the flange will" comfortably fit within the channels 23', as best shown in Fig. 3. Preferably: the edge-of'a flange is tapered as indicated at 3| so that it conforms closely to the contour of the sides of the-channel; The divider plates 2| may be permanently afiised to the base portion. 22 by spot-welding the abutting surfaces of the flange and channel 23 at intervals, as indicated at 32; other methods of securing the plate 2| to the base 22' will: beapparent. To support the base portion.- 22 evenly. on the bottom of the box the opposite endsv are folded: under for a short. distance. as: shown at: 35:, thereby. forming ribs corresponding in height: tov ribs 24. Draina e of whey from the mold is; facilitated. by the provision of holes 36 in base portion 22.

The assembled: insert is preferably provided with a. protective coating: 33,. such, as. by" dipping or'spraying with tin. After this; tinning opera.- tion: anycracks and crevices remaining shouldbe filled with solder, such as. at 34,, so. as toobtain a smooth, easily cleaned surface. Tapering the 3 flange at its end 3| results in such a narrow crevice between the edge of the flange and the side of the channel that the tinning operation generally serves to fill the crevice and the soldering treatment of that joint is not necessary.

In molding bricks of cheese the mold box with the divider insert 20 in place is filled with cheese curd '40. A pressure foot 4| having plates 42 adapted to just fit within the compartments is then placed on the mold and pressure is applied to the bottom of the box [9 and to pressure foot 4| so as to force the plates 42 into the variably the divider insert made in accordance I with my invention will drop freely from the mold when it is inverted. This was not true of the inserts of the prior art in which the base plates were formed with a substantially continuous planar surface that closely contacted the bottom l I of the cheese mold box I 9. In compressing the bricks some of the curd is inevitably forced through the drainage holes of the base plate and spreads between the base plate and the bottom of the box. In the case of the prior art inserts wherein the base portion of the insert and the bottom of the cheese mold box were in close contact, a thin spread of cheese was frequently formed between the surfaces, creating in effect a glue line that was hard to break and often made it difficult to remove the insert because of the suction areas created thereby. Though perforations were provided in the bottom of the box and in the base plate, they too frequently plugged up with cheese to be of material assistance in admitting air to break the suction. In the divider insert of the present invention, however, this difficulty does not occur, since the ribs 2% and 25 which contact the bottom I l of the mold box support the major areas of the base portion 22 at a distance from the bottom of the mold box suificient to prevent the formation of suction areas and consequently the inserts of the present invention may be easily removed from the mold box.

Breakage of divider plates from the base has been substantially eliminated in cheese molding operations utilizing the inserts of the present invention. This is because the major portion of the stress developed by strain between the divider plates and the base is taken up by the bend at the flange so that relatively little stress is applied to the welds securing the divider plate to the base portion.

It can be seen, therefore, that, in accordance with the present invention, divider inserts can be easily and economically fabricated to attain a structure that by its nature has distinct advantages over the divider inserts of the prior art.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rectangular cheese mold, having a bottom wall and opposite side walls: a divider insert including a substantially flat base portion having upper and lower surfaces, and a plurality of flat divider plates secured to said upper surface of said base portion and upstanding therefrom, said base portion being rectangular and adapted to closely fit within said mold, and formed with a plurality of narrow, longitudinally spaced-apart, transversely extending, oiTse't portions defining channels in said upper surface of a depth equal to the thickness of said plates, said offset portions defining ribs projecting from said lower surface whereby when said insert is placed in said mold said ribs will contact the bottom of said mold with the portions of said base portion between said ribs spaced a distance from said bottom, said divider plates including a normally extending flange portion on the bottom edge thereof fitting cooperatively within said channels, the edge of said flanges being tapered to substantially conform to the contour of the sides of a channel, said plates being secured to said base with the flange portion of a plate inserted in a channel, and means rigidly securing said flange portions to said plate.

2. In a rectangular cheese mold, having a bottom wall and opposite side and end walls; a divider insert including a substantially flat, rectangular base portion havin an upper and a lower surface, said base portion having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart, transversely extending offset portions defining channels in the upper surface ofsaid base portionand ribs depending from said lower, surface, a plurality of upstanding, spaced-apart divider plates, each having a normally extending flange formed at the lower end thereof of a Width equal to the width of said channel, said plates being secured to said base portion with the flanges of one .of said plates inserted in a corresponding one of said channels, means rigidly securing said flanges to said base portion, and a protective coating of tin over the entire insert assembly.

3. A divider insert for a cheese mold of the class described, said insert including a subs-tantially flat base portion having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of flat, upstanding, divider plates secured to said upper surface of said base portion, said base portion being adapted to fit closely within said mold and having a plurality of parallel, transversely extending narrow strips offset the thickness of said plates whereby channels are formed in the upper surface of said base portion and ribs are formed on the lower surface of said base portion, each-of said divider plates having an end portion extendin at right angles to the general plane of the plate, said end portion being of a width equal to the width of said channel, said plates being secured to said base with said end portion of one of said plates inserted in a corresponding one of said channels, and means securing said plate end portions to said base portion.

MARVIN F. PULLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

